Lessons from today's commute

Well today I proved that I cannot learn from the experiences of others. Hopefully I will learn from todayís commute. I was on my usual 9 mile commute when I managed to hit full on with my from tire a 3 inch diameter rock while going a little over 20 mph.

Instant flat.

Then in an example of shear stupidity I tried to turn off the road. No front tire pressure. Tire slips sideways.

Crash.

Worse crash Iíve had in 3 years (when my tire got caught in a railroad track and I broke my elbow).

So I pick myself up. Draged all my gear to the nearest sidewalk. Replaced the inner tube. (while pumping up the tire find pain in my right arm, hope nothing is broken). Put chain back on. Adjusted handlebar and seat back into position. Continue ride to work.

I was afraid you were going to say that you also forgot your tube or pump. Just out of curiosity, what type of tire and pressure were you running?
I emphathize with you dragging your beat up hide off the road. The only thing that hurts more than the physical pain is the embarrasment.

a mountain bike with a cargo box on the back and aero bars on the front. an old well-worn dahon folding bike

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I've crashed several times in the last 10 years and in that time I've never felt pain that I was really aware of directly after a bike crash. If I fall in a road, I'm pumped with adrenalin and any pain is far less interesting to my racing mind than desperation to see that I don't get squished by a car.

Some awesome folks who are working to give Haitians the ability to manage their safety and their lives: Haiti Partners

I've still to fix a flat that I must have picked up on the way to work, but was leaking very slowly, enough that I didn't notice until lunchtime.

The other thing that i'm reminded of after reading your first post is that there is sometimes an inevitability about hitting things in the road. This occurs when you have seen them ahead, feel you have time to react, but manage to steer right over them. Had one not seen the object, you'd have been fine. Maybe it's just me

I've crashed several times in the last 10 years and in that time I've never felt pain that I was really aware of directly after a bike crash. If I fall in a road, I'm pumped with adrenalin and any pain is far less interesting to my racing mind than desperation to see that I don't get squished by a car.

That's so true for me too. I tend to spring right up after bike crashes (especially my specialty, embarrassing 2mph crashes) and feel pain later. Oddly enough, when hitting the floor playing basketball, for example, I tend to not get-up right away. I guess I'm not worried about a cars on the court.

Originally Posted by Blue Order

Originally Posted by sknhgy

I do not want to be associated with the kind of riders that come through my neck of the woods on weekends, dressed in superhero costumes

Well it was a long ride home yesterday.
Through out the day my right arm stiffened and swelled.
I had to take it easy since I only had on fully functional arm it was hard to shift. Spent the ride on the top rather than my usual hand position on the hoods.
I think (hope) itís just a sprain.
Relaxed last night (RICE). I had to drive to work this morning (how depressing).
I may go to see the doctor today to verify that itís not broken.
I hope to be back in the saddle in a couple weeks.

oboeguy,
Any details on how you managed your quick recovery would be appreciated.

Well it was a long ride home yesterday.
Through out the day my right arm stiffened and swelled.
I had to take it easy since I only had on fully functional arm it was hard to shift. Spent the ride on the top rather than my usual hand position on the hoods.
I think (hope) itís just a sprain.
Relaxed last night (RICE). I had to drive to work this morning (how depressing).
I may go to see the doctor today to verify that itís not broken.
I hope to be back in the saddle in a couple weeks.

oboeguy,
Any details on how you managed your quick recovery would be appreciated.

First I made sure it wasn't busted via X-ray. Lots of ice in the first couple of days was good (obviously past that stage) and Aleve too to keep the swelling down. I think what really helped after that (after a Dr. ordered period of rest (5 days?)) was almost obsessively stretching and flexing while at work. You learn what's too much pretty fast. For my particlar injury, attempting to extend the elbow counted as a stretch . I also did quite a fair bit of twisting my arm while having it extended in front of me. Finally, the most unorthodox part of my made-up PT plan: using a stress ball. You know, those little child-fist-sized soft foam balls that you squeeze to relive tension. I squeezed and squeezed and then squeezed some more, and for a break practiced toss it at different angles against my office door (e.g. like a very small basktball). Staying as active as possible helps too. A two days hike in the backwoods really got the juices flowing.

Originally Posted by Blue Order

Originally Posted by sknhgy

I do not want to be associated with the kind of riders that come through my neck of the woods on weekends, dressed in superhero costumes

oh, and yesterday, during a "training" ride at lunchtime I nearly bought it. The front tirehad punctured and lost pressure, which went unnoticed until I tried to make a sharp medium speed turn. The front wheel broke traction with that sickening feeling, but somehow I kept upright, regained control and managed to wrestle the bike to a stop. Too close by half.

If I fall in a road, I'm pumped with adrenalin and any pain is far less interesting to my racing mind than desperation to see that I don't get squished by a car.

Getting self and bike out of the traffic is the first priority. Right after that I take a quick look around to see how many people saw the embarrassing crash. The fewer the better. It's funny, but I cannot help it .